Pre-peeled and pre-cut potatoes are immensely popular among consumers. Most typically, these potatoes must be stored in the freezer. Consequently, the potatoes do not always have the desirable taste and consistency of a fresh potato product.
Several prior art patents have suggested methods of preserving potatoes at refrigeration temperatures. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,527 (Ruggerone) the potatoes are cooked such that they are soft all the way through, dipped in a preservative, and then cut into desired shapes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,196 (Weaver, et al.) describes another process for preparing pre-cooked potato products. This process involves cooking raw potatoes at 81.degree.-83.degree. C. for 5 to 45 minutes, then heating the partially cooked potatoes to reduce the moisture content thereof, cooking the potatoes at 50.degree.-100.degree. C. for another period of 5 to 45 minutes, and, finally, preserving the potatoes in the absence of starch suspensions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,743 (Hullah) describes a method of preparing par-fried sliced potato products wherein surface sugar molecules and starch molecules are first cross-linked, then the cross-linked potato is water blanched and soaked in a solution containing an oxidizing agent, a non-reducing sugar, and an antioxidant preservative. The potatoes are then parfried, cooled and packaged in an inert gas and CO.sub.2 mixture to inhibit microbiological growth.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,761 (Hale) teaches a method of preserving pre-cut, uncooked potatoes for storage at refrigeration temperatures, wherein pre-cut uncooked potatoes are blanched to seal the outer surfaces without cooking the inside of the potato. The potatoes are then rapidly cooled in water, dried and vacuum packaged.
All of these prior art methods of preserving potatoes at refrigeration temperatures tend to increase moisture content of the potato product thereby yielding a limp, soggy potato product. Consequently, there is a need in the art for making fresh, pre-cut potatoes available in the refrigerator sections of the supermarket and in institutional food service markets, which are ready to be heated and or browned without the need for further preparation.